Material Girl: Czech pressed glass

Hey, all! Welcome to a new feature I'm calling Material Girl, where I'll be focusing on some of my favorite materials to use in jewelry making. In the spotlight today is Czech pressed glass.

According to Shipwreck Beads, one of the primary distributors of Czech beads:

"Pressed Glass beads are one of the oldest types of beads, dating back over 300 years. Pressed glass beads are formed by pressing a heated glass rod into a mold."

Czech beads set the standard for outstanding craftsmanship and vivid colors. The heating process of the pressed glass creates a smooth, polished finish, making these beads shine like hard candy. Delicious!*

Pressed glass beads come in a huge variety of shapes, colors, and special effects such as metallic and opalescent. For spring and summer I've been focusing on the vibrant opaque beads. A lot of people ask me if these beads are ceramic or Bakelite because of their bright, glossy colors. They're often surprised that such bold, solid colors can be achieved with glass.

Chicklette necklace

Tomato earrings


Tranquility necklace

Stay tuned for future installments in the Material Girl series to learn more about the beads you see in Stacybeads jewelry.

*But please don't, you know, eat the beads.